By Luminous Jannamike

His Grace Most Revd Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, and the Ambassador of Palestine to Nigeria, Abdullah Abu Shawesh, have jointly called for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

They also urged individuals to raise their voices to stop the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to support the implementation of international law and adherence to United Nations resolutions.

According to the duo, the way forward is to apply the two-state solution as the only viable path towards peace.

Speaking at the 4th Abuja Archdiocesan General Assembly with the theme ‘Marriage and Family in Contemporary Society,’ held in the capital city on Thursday, Archbishop Kaigama said, “We collectively joined in prayer, recognizing that it is the best action we can take for peace to reign in Israel and Palestine.”

He advised both parties to cease the violence, emphasizing that conflicts and violence do not provide solutions to any problems, and instead called for dialogue and negotiations.

“God is displeased when we resort to violence, which destroys lives and properties,” the Catholic cleric added.

Echoing Kaigama’s sentiments, Ambassador Shawesh provided an in-depth perspective on the suffering of the Palestinian people and the need for the world to hear their side of the story.

“Is it not fair to implement international humanitarian law? Is it not fair to implement EU resolutions? Decisive action must be taken to address these issues,” he asked, urging the attendees to raise their voices against the ongoing massacres.

On the issue of family and societal stability, Archbishop Kaigama stressed the importance of the family unit as the first and vital cell of society and called for the government’s support in empowering families through sustainable entrepreneurial activities.

“The existence of good families is essential for the existence of society,” he said, expressing concern over the increase in broken homes and single parenting in contemporary society.

While appreciating the 5 billion Naira palliative allocated by the President to each state and the FCT to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, and the N25,000 monthly grant allocated to 15 million struggling Nigerian families, Kaigama voiced his hope that these grants truly reach the hands of the poor and vulnerable.

“More than allocating grants and palliatives, families need to be empowered and supported by the government to embark on sustainable entrepreneurial activities,” he asserted.